Archives: People

Diana Smith has served on the board of directors for LINES Ballet since 2022 and currently serves as chair of the marketing committee. Diana grew up dancing and fell in love with Alonzo King’s choreography when she saw the company perform at her university. After moving to San Francisco, Diana kept in touch with LINES Ballet as a student and audience member before joining the board. Diana is inspired by Alonzo’s unique approach to choreography, how he breaks boundaries and traditional form, and how he focuses on growing beyond the individual into the collective.

Diana graduated from the University of Southern California summa cum laude with a degree in communications and a minor in advertising. She participated in many dance organizations on campus and founded a collaborative group across all dance programs at the university.

Diana has built her career serving in marketing roles for innovative technology companies. Today, she is the Senior Director of Product Marketing for cybersecurity products at HashiCorp, recently acquired by IBM. Prior to HashiCorp, she served as the Head of Marketing for Twilio’s social impact division, Twilio.org, helping nonprofits leverage communications technology to better serve their constituents. Diana started the marketing organization at Segment, a customer data platform, and helped grow the company from $1 million to $100 million in revenue.

Diana currently lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband, Brian, and young son. In her free time, she enjoys taking ballet classes at a local studio and exploring the outdoors with her little one.

Harry Schoening and his wife, Amy, have been enjoying and supporting LINES Ballet for more than 25 years, first as fans and then as contributors to board leadership. Amy served on the board for five years, and subsequently Harry joined in 2018 and served as Board Chair from December 2020 to June 2024. They both believe that “the art is unique and brilliant; being part of the Alonzo King LINES Ballet community has been one of the high points of our lives in San Francisco.”

In addition to the uplifting and spiritual enjoyment from the performances, Amy and Harry treasure their long-term friendship with Alonzo and Robert, one of deep respect and admiration.

They have been fortunate to join the company for performances in Monaco in 2009, where LINES was invited by Princess Caroline to open the year-long celebration of Ballet Russe’s 100-year anniversary; in Paris in 2013; and in Moscow and St. Petersburg in 2016, in addition to Los Angeles and New York’s Lincoln Center. Getting to know the dancers and watching them grow year over year has been another invaluable gift to both Harry and Amy.

Harry attended Brown University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in international relations, which was followed by a Juris Doctor from New England Law, and finally (mercifully), a postgraduate degree, Master of Law (LLM) in tax law from Boston University.

Starting his real estate career in Boston in 1980, he and his partners converted historic brownstone homes and abandoned textile mills into condominiums and apartments.

Photography: Harry Schoening | Courtesy of Harry Schoening

Kimberly Hughes is a residential designer and vineyard owner. She specializes in renovations using building materials to reduce energy and water consumption while maintaining comfort and aesthetics. She has remodeled spacious homes and smaller apartments within and outside of California.

Kimberly and her husband also grow organic Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Old Vine Zinfandel grapes in Moon Mountain District AVA in Sonoma County. She oversees the management of the vineyard, grape contracts, wine production, and sales.

She is a long-time supporter of education initiatives that offer both financial assistance and enrichment opportunities for students. Since 2003, in partnership with the Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF), she has produced video workshops for Sonoma Valley middle school students whose films are screened at the festival. In 2011, she started a scholarship program in Sonoma Valley that helps first-generation Latino students attend college. In addition to her SIFF board involvement, Kimberly proudly serves on the board of LINES Ballet.

Kimberly holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, an MBA from the University of San Francisco, and a permaculture certificate from the Regenerative Design Institute of Northern California.

Photography: Kimberly Hughes | Courtesy of Kimberly Hughes

For over two decades, Korri Jackson has woven a vibrant tapestry of impact, seamlessly connecting the realms of cutting-edge technology, transformative education, and passionate community engagement. A seasoned marketing strategist at the heart of Silicon Valley’s innovation, Korri works at Apple, supporting the company’s community education initiatives. She champions educational pathways for K-12 and higher education institutions as well as under-resourced communities to thrive in the digital age.

But Korri’s story extends far beyond the boardroom. From her childhood ballet training to her current role as Board Chair of Alonzo King LINES Ballet, she embodies the power of art to inspire and elevate. This lifelong dedication to movement and expression mirrors her commitment to building bridges within her community, evident in her work with organizations like the Baltimore Food Co-op and Health ConnectEd.

With degrees from Hampton University and the University of Maryland, Korri is a lifelong learner, driven by a deep appreciation for arts, culture, and the restorative power of nature. Whether she’s exploring new destinations, embracing the rhythm of dance, or sharing moments with loved ones, Korri strives to live a life rich in purpose and passion in the pursuit of leaving an indelible mark on every community she touches.

Photography: Korri Jackson | © Jennifer Graham

Lisa Pinckney wanted to be a dancer at an early age but was told that she was too tall to be taken seriously as a performer. Currently, she holds the position of Culinary Events Manager at Copper Home in Berkeley, California. Prior to Copper Home, Lisa had a 30-plus-year career as a Chef/Owner of renowned restaurants and bakeries in Albany, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. She received her formal culinary training in Florence, Italy.

Lisa has served on the Board of Directors of the Albany Museum of Art and volunteered at the Albany Symphony. In the fall of 2013, Lisa retired and moved to San Francisco. It didn’t take long for her to jump right in and start sharing her talents. She organized a gala to support young artists in the city and raised funds for the San Francisco Children’s Council. In 2019, Lisa joined the Advisory Board for Oasis for Girls and served two terms in a fundraising capacity. You may also find her volunteering at San Francisco International Airport’s information desk.

As luck would have it, Lisa was drawn to LINES Ballet in part by the bond she shares with Alonzo King and his family’s roots in Southwest Georgia. Lisa calls San Francisco her final destination, and she plans to leave a mark for LINES Ballet for generations to come.

Photography: Lisa Pinckney | © Cody Gantz

Micki Klearman is an accomplished rheumatologist and internist with over 20 years in clinical practice at Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri. She moved to California in 2007 and joined Genentech where she served in a group leadership position in the immunology pharma development group, working on medications to treat rheumatoid arthritis and vasculitis. She retired in 2018.

Micki received her Bachelors in Biology at Stanford University. She then went for her medical training, as well as her residency and fellowship training at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. In addition to her participation on the LINES Board, Micki currently serves on the Board of Directors of Kezar Life Sciences, a biotech in South San Francisco, and is the Vice Chair of the Board of Shanti Project, a social service non-profit organization. She continues to consult for small biotech companies in the autoimmune disease space.

Micki is married with two sons, three stepdaughters, six grandsons, two granddaughters, and a ten-year-old Lagotto Romagnolo. She enjoys all that the Bay Area has to offer with a special love for the arts—especially dance! She was drawn to LINES for its focus on humanity and its mission to nurture artistry.

Micki was elected to the LINES Board of Directors in 2016 and currently serves as Chair of the Development Committee. She has been involved in the planning and execution of both virtual and in-person galas and other key fundraising events and works intimately with the development team on donor strategy and cultivation.

Photography: Micki Klearman, M.D. | Courtesy of Genentech

Pattie Lawton has been a top-producing San Francisco real estate expert since 1998, recognized for her market leadership at Sotheby’s International Realty, where she is ranked among the top 100 agents company-wide.

Pattie’s lifelong connection to dance and the performing arts is rooted in her academic background—she holds degrees from University of California Berkeley and Mills College, where she earned a Master’s Degree in Dance. Pattie has a rich history with dance in San Francisco. She taught dance at many schools, colleges, and private studios in the Bay Area in addition to performing in several local dance companies. Following her dance career, Pattie entered the fitness industry as a Teacher Trainer developing the program for Jane Fonda Workout. In 2023, she joined the Board of Directors for Alonzo King LINES Ballet, where she now serves as Vice Chair. She continues to be thrilled and inspired by each performance and motivated by the spirit of artistic collaboration.

Pattie is deeply involved in the arts and education, serving as President of the Board of Trustees for the Museum of Performance + Design (MP+D). The museum has been diligently collecting and preserving the history of the performing arts in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 75 years. With a vast collection of over 3.5 million items, MP+D serves as a prominent living record that spans from the era of the Gold Rush to the present day, capturing the rich tapestry of the performing arts of San Francisco and beyond.

Born in New York City, Pattie has called San Francisco home for over 40 years, residing in Russian Hill with her children.

Photography: Pattie Lawton | © Rus Anson

Sandra Lloyd has had a varied career as an independent film producer with a contract at Paramount Pictures, as a public television producer at KUHT Houston, and as a photographer. She graduated from the Stanford University Film Program, studied acting at ACT, directed at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, and taught contemporary drama and business management at UCSF. She has photographed dress rehearsals for Alonzo King LINES Ballet and Sacramento Ballet. She is also a member of the SFMOMA’s Photography Acquisitions Committee.

She was a founding board member of Planetree, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing new models of healthcare delivery. She also worked as a medical researcher in charge of animal surgery.

Sandra has served on the boards of Grace Cathedral, the UCSF Foundation, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Baylor Institute of Ophthalmology, and the Houston Ballet. In addition, she also served on the board of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where she was a co-founder of the Chair in Psychiatry.

She currently serves as a board member of Alonzo King LINES Ballet and the Leadership Council of the New York Stem Cell Foundation. A graduate of Paris-Sorbonne Université, she speaks fluent French.

Sandra lives full-time in Stinson Beach with her husband.

Photography: Sandra Lloyd | © Lisa Keating